


Eudaemonic

by ncitykillsme



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Friendly banter, Friends to Lovers, M/M, and a poly ship (: dont hate me thanks, hyuck and his never ending nicknames for poor mark, i edited it once and by that i mean i speed read through it, i finally finished it, its 230am i am Tired, markhyuck, obviously, spelling bee, theres also nomin mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-10-11 22:04:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20553410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ncitykillsme/pseuds/ncitykillsme
Summary: Mark had fallen victim to what he liked to call The Lee Donghyuck Effect. He hadn’t even realised he’d been infected until he was about five months and thirty symptoms in. He doubted there was a cure, not that he'd want it anyway.





	Eudaemonic

**Author's Note:**

> inspired off my tweet that yall went crazy over so here it mcfukcing is  
warning: i realised halfway through writing this that there's barely much spelling bee content in it but n e ways 
> 
> AND BEFORE YALL ENGLISH MAJORS COME FOR ME IM 99% SURE I USED THE WORD FOR THE TITLE WRONG AND I DONT CARE OK IM SORRY WE CANT ALL WIN

Mark Lee was not a genius. Granted, he wasn’t stupid, he passed school with relatively flying colours and sometimes he could learn the chords to a new song in about half an hour, however, he wouldn’t say he was a genius. 

Mark was a hard worker. He was only twelve when he moved to South Korea with his parents, they had relocated because of his father’s promotion. Canadian and Queen’s education was tough, he only managed to understand the jargon his English teacher spouted thanks to his tutor. He would spend hours upon hours with textbooks and highlighters trying to understand the process of basic algebra. Balancing that on top of his music lessons and basketball training was even more so time consuming. 

Mark barely had a social life when he was a kid. Moving to South Korea, Mark assumed he would have  _ no _ social life. Yet, for some odd reason that he could not and doubted he could ever fathom, Mark had a pretty large circle of friends. 

His private tutoring lessons were now group sessions where his friends claimed the back left corner of the library as their own. The time he would spend on music lessons were replaced with hours spent in one of his friend’s garage as they practiced a set list for the school talent show. His basketball training grew into weekends at his school's gymnasium where the coach drilled new game plans into his head. 

Mark had a social life. He had a group of close friends. It started off as a duo consisting of Mark and Jeno. Not too soon after, Jeno’s childhood friend Jaemin began crashing their study session with his science class classmates: Renjun and Yangyang. One of Renjun’s family friends, Chenle, refused to be left alone and dragged along his best friend and translator: Jisung. Jisung was already acquainted with Yangyang through the school’s dance club, which lead to another addition to their group: Hendery. Hendery seemed to be close with one of Mark’s Basketball teammates, Lucas, cue addition number 9. Lucas with his big and not so subtle crush on choir boy Xiaojun, dragged the poor boy to one of their band’s sessions. Mark was thankful because they were in dire need of a vocalist — don’t get Mark wrong, he believed Chenle and Jisung could outsing most of their school’s choir; but they needed someone who could sing steamy songs and not look questionable. 

Jeno, Jaemin, Renjun, Yangyang, Chenle, Jisung, Hendery, Lucas, and Xiaojun were Mark’s closest friends. Occasionally some seniors would hang out with them at lunch or crash their study sessions, and Mark loved them to bits but him and his tight knit group had so many inside jokes accumulated from spending days upon days with each other that it was hard to join their little bubble. However, there was one exception. 

Lee Donghyuck. 

That boy knew all their inside jokes through and through. He could join the group for lunch at any given time and he’d be laughing along knowing exactly what was going on. Not only that, Donghyuck seemed to know each of Mark’s older friends like the back of his hand. As he once said so himself, he had a finger in everyone’s pies and Mark thought that was the most Gemini statement a Gemini could say. He flitted around at lunch and in class. He had a knack for drawing the loudest of laughter out of anyone within a breadth’s distance.

At first, it was unnerving. He didn’t know what it was about the boy, besides from being loud and clingy, that made Mark want to run in the other direction. Yet somehow Mark also wanted to have Donghyuck by his side forever. For some reason, even as much as catching a glimpse of Donghyuck from across the hallway was enough to put a smile on Mark’s face. 

Maybe it was because although Donghyuck would tease the living daylights out of Jeno, he would also bring the boy little snacks for his kittens. Or maybe it was the way that Donghyuck and Renjun would throw backhanded compliments at each other ending with Donghyuck never failing to wrap the boy in his arms and pamper the shit out of him — of course Renjun would complain but he wouldn’t run away either. Or it could have been the week that Xiaojun was losing his voice and Mark had spent his days trying to cheer him up but Donghyuck brought him warm Yuza tea and a jar full of steamed pears in honey without saying a single word and Mark watched as Xiaojun’s eyes lit with a warmth he’d never seen before. 

Or that one time they had all gotten drunk off Mark’s brother’s secret wine stash (which was not so secretly hidden right under his bed) and Lucas confessed to having a crush on Yuqi from Phys. Ed. before dashing out of the room; Mark hadn’t noticed Donghyuck’s disappearance until he found the both of them huddled in the corner of the living room behind the T.V. Mark knew eavesdropping was an invasion of privacy but he couldn't stop himself from tuning in to Donghyuck’s honey like voice reassure Lucas that his feelings were valid. It led to a month of Lucas, Xiaojun, and Yuqi spending time together, talking over their feelings and going on dates, ending with the three of them engaging in a polyamorous relationship. It was the happiest Mark had ever seen Lucas. And if Mark was seeing it right, which he knew he was because he had in fact worn his glasses  _ over _ his contacts to double check, he noticed more than a few sparks between Xiaojun and Yuqi too. 

It was interesting to watch Donghyuck go from babying Jisung to being the ultimate baby brother Johnny always wished he had. To be fair, Johnny had also adopted Mark too, which in turn meant spending  _ a lot _ of time with Donghyuck. Johnny would turn up at Mark’s house unannounced, rambling about some new activity he’d gotten a free class for and as Mark pulled a hoodie over his bed ridden hair before trudging to Johnny’s beat up car, he always found the front seat occupied by none other than Donghyuck. It became a fortnightly ritual with Mark dressing more presentably each time. 

It would be a complete and utter lie if Mark said he didn’t try to get a compliment out of Donghyuck. It was odd since at school all Mark got was ‘wake up dumbass this isn’t Canada you can’t afford to nap in class.’ But on their trips hosted by Johnny, Donghyuck would wind down the window and stick his head out forcing Mark to halt in his steps. The first time it happened he felt so vulnerable and exposed but over time Donghyuck would compliment Mark in his choice of t-shirt or the way Mark blended the little shimmer he had dusted across his eyelids. 

Usually when Jungwoo would praise his improving makeup skills, Mark would feel his confidence grow a little. But when Donghyuck complimented him, God. Mark wasn’t sure what it was but there was always a glint of mischief behind Donghyuck’s doe eyes as he winked at Mark before shooting out a quick ‘you look pretty Markeuri,’ that ignited a foreign electric sensation in the pit of Mark’s stomach which spread to the tips of his fingers like wildfire. No matter how composed Mark promised himself he would be, he was constantly at a loss of words when Donghyuck blew him a parting flying kiss through the tinted windows of Johnny’s car. 

And that was only in the first year he had known Donghyuck. Over time Donghyuck became Hyuck, or as most people at school called him, Haechan, but Mark couldn’t bring himself to call Donghyuck that. It just didn’t roll off his tongue as easy as Hyuck did. And as time when on Donghyuck tried to find the most obscure nicknames for Mark which ranged from ‘Canada’ to a mispronunciation of ‘Markeuri’ transforming into ‘Mercury’ and Mark’s personal favourite, ‘Mackerel’. As time changed the names they called each other, so did their relationship. 

Mark had fallen victim to what he liked to call _ The Lee Donghyuck Effect _ . He hadn’t even realised he’d been infected until he was about five months and thirty symptoms in -- he doubted there was a cure anyway. 

The first time Mark had noticed anything weird was when he was stressed over his assessments. 

It was the end of semester with exams and assignments due back to back. He should have been studying but his basketball coach had assigned him the task of coming up with a game plan, which he’d actually been begging to have a try at. But right before the start of exams? Not so much. He knew he should have been grateful. Yet he couldn’t focus on  _ anything _ , he hadn’t even transcribed I Like Me Better into a scoresheet that his band could perform for the end of semester showcase. 

He didn’t want to fail any of his classes neither did he want the team to lose to their rivals and he couldn’t even imagine the band performing without any practice. Everything had been piling up for weeks and all Mark did was lay in his bed and stare at the ceiling, counting the number of times the fan spun before he began crying. 

Jeno and Renjun had tried prying Mark’s emotions out of him and as much as he wanted to let it all out he couldn’t. He loved Jeno and Renjun to the world knows no ends but he looked at them like his little brothers and he didn’t want them to see him lose it. It was stupid since they were barely a year a part, but his older brother always seemed to have his shit together and Mark wished he could be like him. 

Mark couldn’t remember  _ exactly  _ when or how it had happened. He faintly recalled Johnny taking him and Donghyuck to a newly opened skate park. He didn’t remember how he’d gotten home nor did he recall inviting Donghyuck in. The entire day was a blur until the two of them were splayed on the ground at the edge of Mark’s bed, engaged in an intense game of Mortal Kombat where Mark lost every single game. 

He remembered getting so frustrated that he threw the remote control across the room and stood up. He remembered the tingling in his hands when he realised that Donghyuck was holding them, massaging circles into the Mark’s palms. Mark remembered devising an intricate lie of having tripped up at Basketball practice as the reason for his outburst. He had been planning all the minuscule details in his head so that it was believable. 

Before he’d realised, his mouth began moving of its own accord. He didn’t know how but he found himself sobbing into Donghyuck’s chest, the younger boy petting Mark’s head. Maybe it was the doe eyes that seemed to look beyond Mark’s walls, or maybe it was the way he was surprisingly silent, waiting for Mark’s to open up, maybe it was all the little things like the comforting touches and warm smiles that made him so easy to trust.

That was Mark’s first encounter (correction: it was Mark’s first  _ self aware _ encounter) with The Lee Donghyuck Effect. It didn’t stop after that. In fact, now that Mark was conscious of it, it happened almost every day. Mark could have missed a hoop at training and Lucas would pat him on the back trying to get him to complain or yell but one look from Donghyuck’s piercing gaze and Mark was bad mouthing their coach for being extra hard on Mark. 

And as much as Donghyuck could make Mark open up, he could also make Mark fall completely silent. Of course, in true Mark Lee fashion, he completely brushed it under the rug. It took five hits of Jaehyun’s friend’s joint -- apparently Kun grew the best weed in the city -- and a regrettably large shot of Ten’s drink for Mark to even mention The Lee Donghyuck Effect. Which was absolutely useless and a waste of pent up emotions. The boy’s simply laughed at Mark, Yuta yelling out from the kitchen to ‘let him figure it out himself.’ Mark thought to himself that he was indeed independent and would much prefer to find the cure to The Lee Donghyuck Effect on his own but he  _ can’t  _ figure it out and that’s why he’s asking for help. 

Now, Mark wasn’t stupid. He knew that it could mean one of two things: one, he has a crush on Donghyuck, and two, Lee Donghyuck was a witch from the pits of Hell who had taken a liking to gullible Mark Lee and cast a spell on him. His second theory was clearly flawed because Mark didn’t believe in witches and supernatural ‘what ifs.’ And no matter  _ how  _ attractive his mental image of witch!Donghyuck was, wearing a pointy hat, black robe, carrying around a wand in one hand and broomstick in the other with strange runes crawling up his neck, Mark was  _ not _ stupid. 

Mark knew theory one was true. However, there were quite a few things wrong with it. 

Firstly, Mark was a Leo and as much as he was an introvert he also strived to be liked by everyone. Sometimes he put up an image that he knew people would take a liking to, even if it wasn’t entirely him. It terrified Mark to think that Donghyuck would turn his nose away if he got a whiff of what Mark was really like -- which Mark knew was a fear he pushed on others because Donghyuck had already seen snot pouring out of Mark’s nose and stuck around.

Secondly, Donghyuck was clingy with  _ everyone _ . It was one of his strengths, the boy could break down anyone’s walls with ease and draw affection and adoration out of everyone. The only person Mark had seen be extra cautious around Donghyuck was Ten. They were similar in the sense of making people comfortable in their presence, both of them being absolute chaotic demons once you grew close to them. But Ten had slowly opened up and soon Mark found Donghyuck occasionally seated in Ten’s lap as if it were his throne -- as much as the scene had made Mark happy it had also made him unbelievably furious. 

Thirdly, Mark wasn’t sure if it was a romantic crush. It confused Mark because he’d never really felt this way about his exes before  _ and _ they were all girls. After his latest breakup he had discovered that he was more than a little bicurious. However, the only boy he had kissed was Sicheng in a twisted game of Spin-The-Bottle. The kiss lasted approximately 5 seconds yet Mark couldn’t stop thinking about it for months. It wasn’t really Sicheng that had been swimming around in the back of his consciousness, but rather the fact that kissing a boy felt no different to him than kissing a girl. 

Mark spent a month wondering what each of his friend’s lips would feel like. It wasn’t in an ‘ _ I’m in love with you _ way’ but ‘ _ you're a boy and I’m a boy so why doesn’t it feel weird’  _ way _ .  _ At first he thought maybe he was terrified of his parents but when they met Lucas, Xiaojun  _ and _ Yuqi they had been nothing but accepting. In fact they had said that the three of them could come back whenever they wanted to eat Mango Sticky Rice. His mum had even asked if Jeno and Jaemin were a couple  _ before  _ they’d gotten together. And his brother was nothing less than supportive, he had helped Jeno get home after his date which ended a little later than 3am when public transport was at its worst. Mark wasn’t even aware of what had happened till the next day, something about seeing his brother seeing Jeno’s instagram story and whatnot. 

Mark pegged it down to the fact that he was terrified of commitment. Commitment to relationships, commitment to putting a label on his sexuality, commitment to having to tell everyone, and most importantly, commitment to being honest with himself. Mark is as loyal as they come but he was terrified of rejection. He didn’t even know if Donghyuck reciprocated his feelings. Sure, Donghyuck would constantly call Mark his soulmate and say they were made for each other. And each time Donghyuck’s honey like voice called out Mark’s name, he felt like his chest would explode. But Donghyuck would call Jeno his husband even with Jaemin sitting right between them. Actually, one of the later times it had happened Jaemin looked knowingly at Mark as if trying to hint at something but Mark simply giggled and brushed it off. Mark decided he was better at being in the denial that he was at cooking. 

If Mark was being honest, his biggest fear about Donghyuck was that although the boy was a demon in sheep’s clothing, he was  _ Donghyuck _ . He was beautiful in every aspect of the word. His voice was silky and smooth, right up until he did his overbearing aegyo, with his lips sitting in a natural pout. Sometimes he would have his cheeks full with food but continued to make grabby hands at whatever Mark was eating, his pout growing even bigger. His nose, small just like the rest of his face, sat in the shape of a tiny muffin and sometimes Mark would daydream about leaning over and biting it. 

Then there was his hair. The first year Mark had known Donghyuck, his hair sat in a messy mop of curls that strangely resembled piles of freshly raked maple leaves from Mark’s yard back in Canada. The red was so vibrant that he’d earned himself the nickname Firetruck which matched his loud personality. But now it was dyed a chestnut brown, the front of his hair slicked to the side with his forehead on full display. Mark soon realised that Donghyuck knowing how to style his hair was the bane of his existence; the little flick of hair, whole forehead visible, and that one eyebrow constantly quirking up in Mark’s presence was death personified. 

To avoid Donghyuck’s face, Mark found himself getting lost in Donghyuck’s skin. His friends like to compare Donghyuck’s skin to caramel but Mark would dispute -- in his head -- that Donghyuck’s skin was more like the lightly glazed donuts his brother used to buy him from the corner shop on their way to school back in Queens. They were baked to a soft gold, the icing glazed on top ever so lightly but enough to glisten in the sun. Donghyuck’s skin shone naturally and Mark wanted to see it dowsed in glitter. Mark, realising that he might be a tad masochistic, decided to give Donghyuck Body Lava for his birthday.

It was more for Mark than Donghyuck but no one had to know that. And Mark certainly didn’t expect Donghyuck to wear it, nonetheless to school. The boy barely showered unless Yangyang specifically pointed out that his hair wasn’t standing right, yet he had started to wear a sheer layer to school. The first day he’d worn it, their friends had poked fun at how much he’d put on and Donghyuck’s face turned crimson, matching Mark’s cheeks. Everyone thought Mark had gotten a fever overnight and he’d laughed it off but in actuality it was the fact that  _ every inch _ of Donghyuck’s body was shimmering. He couldn’t stop his eyes from tracing down Donghyuck’s neck and wandering across the skin below his collarbone before the glitter disappeared beneath his uniform. 

Lately, Mark wasn’t sure if he was making it up in his head or not, but Donghyuck had been sticking by his side  _ a lot _ . It didn’t feel weird until Lucas pointed it out. And of course, Mark being a master of repression, brushed it off on the fact that they were best friends -- to which Lucas fake cried over Donghyuck stealing his bestie. 

Mark was close to all his friends, they were all his ‘best friends.’ Yet there was something special about the way Donghyuck would press his nose into Mark’s neck as they fell asleep on game nights that made Mark wonder if they could be something more. 

It had only been one month since Mark decided to admit to himself that he was in fact crushing on Donghyuck, hard. He hadn’t told anyone. He didn’t need to. The moment he asked if he could speak to Renjun about something ‘demon related,’ Renjun simply pulled Mark close and whispered ‘good luck buddy’ before giving him a thumbs up and nodding in Donghyuck’s direction. Only when Mark was home did he realise that Renjun hadn’t questioned about his sexuality. That night he decided to tell his brother and after all the sobbing and incoherent declarations of undying brotherly love, Mark called Johnny. Or so he had thought because the moment he was alone in his room and tucked into bed, it was as if his body was in autopilot and his finger’s dialed Donghyuck’s number. Cue more sobbing and incomprehensible ‘I will always be here for yous.’ Mark drifted off to sleep that night with Donghyuck’s lullaby rendition of Man In The Mirror. 

That night only made them closer. 

No one questioned why Donghyuck stuck to Mark like glue. Apparently it was ‘normal’ but to Mark it  _ felt _ different. The stolen glances felt heavier. The way Donghyuck’s hand brushed against Mark’s waist was enough to send him reeling. Donghyuck had a habit of grasping someone’s thigh when he laughed and it soon became Mark’s vice. To make things worse, it was winter and Donghyuck’s hands were so comfortingly warm that Mark would subconsciously twine their fingers together. Mark wasn’t sure if Donghyuck simply didn’t notice or specifically chose to ignore it but either way Mark was relieved. He couldn’t imagine confessing to Donghyuck. 

He was almost certain that he would be rejected. Not only that, Donghyuck would take every moment to patronise him over it -- this was a lie because he knew Donghyuck would never intentionally hurt Mark’s feelings but Mark was an overthinker who liked to believe in the worst outcomes possible even if they were near to impossible. There were just so many possibilities where things could go horribly wrong and as much as Mark wanted more he couldn’t think of the idea of losing Donghyuck. He’d much rather daydream about holding the sunkissed boy in his arms while they binged Netflix Originals rather than Donghyuck not even being able to meet his eyes in the school hallway.

The more Mark thought about it the more he realised how incredibly infatuated he was with Donghyuck. The boy had become such an indispensable presence in Mark’s life that even the mere thought of going a day without seeing Donghyuck’s Pick-Me-Up smile terrified him. And as much as he wanted to distance himself from the fact that he was pining after something he could never have, Donghyuck clung to him like never before. The more Mark pulled the more Donghyuck seemed to push back. 

Of course, Mark decided to confide in his trusty friends, The Musket99rs, as they called themselves. He was half expecting them to laugh in his face and half expecting them to encourage him to give up. Yet, to Mark’s surprise, they not only told him to ‘shoot his shot’ but gave him numerous examples of moments where Donghyuck was watching him with the same star-struck gaze Mark had in his eyes as he watched Donghyuck. 

Mark liked to believe he was subtle, but as Lucas showed him a clip of their latest study session where Donghyuck was droning on and on about ice-skating, the camera panned over to the rest of the group who were all off in their own world’s except Mark whose eyes were twinkling as he intently listened to Donghyuck. If Mark was being honest, he couldn’t recollect a single word of Donghyuck’s speech yet he could retrace the younger boy’s silhouette as he leaned back in his chair to demonstrate exactly how Viktor from Yuri On Ice performed his final piece or something of the sorts. 

The next clip Mark was shown was from a band session where Mark was sprawled on the floor, vigorously scrawling lyrics into his notebook while mumbling them into the garage, his voice drowned out by Yangyang’s take on Forbidden Fruit by J.Cole. He hadn’t noticed how close Donghyuck’s face had been, the boy’s nose almost buried into the crook of Mark’s neck as he pointed out spelling mistakes Mark had made as he raced with his own mind to get the lyrics down on paper before they disippitated into thin air, much like his heart was as he watched the scene unfold on Lucas’ phone.

Mark had never taken notice of how easily Donghyuck weaseled his way past Mark’s initial discomfort with skinship. It was a culture shock for Mark to have Jeno cling to him at their first sleepover, but now he couldn’t imagine a game night ending without Jaemin’s leg thrown across his chest, Chenles head in the crook of his elbow, Jeno’s hair weaved between his fingers, and Donghyuck’s face inches from his. However, he’d admit that as much as he loved Donghyuck’s touch, sometimes he couldn’t help himself from jumping away. He  _ hated _ that he noticed the spark flicker out of Donghyuck’s eyes but he was too hyper aware of the blush creeping up his own cheeks to react any other way. Then again, there were times where Mark just wanted to feel Donghyuck’s warmth in the palm of his hands and he’d find his finger’s playing with Donghyuck’s ear. 

After Mark’s rendezvous with his fellow 99 mates, Donghyuck was on his mind even more so. The next few weeks were filled with a myriad of moments where Mark felt like maybe, just maybe, Donghyuck liked him back. 

Honestly, a lot of these moments felt more like a fever dream than reality. Times where Donghyuck would edge a little closer to him and hold his waist; times where Donghyuck would kiss Mark’s fingers before falling asleep with the tuft of his hair fluttering from the slight snore that escaped Donghyuck’s lips; times where Donghyuck would playfully lick the tip of Mark’s nose as they scoffed down Mark’s mum’s Mango Sticky Rice. 

But hey? It was just bros being bros right? He could easily imagine Donghyuck doing the same with, for name’s sake, Renjun. And as the thought popped into Mark’s head, pain shot through his arm as his nails dug into the palm of his hands, jealousy coursing through his veins. 

Maybe it was time to confess. Maybe… But the more Mark thought about it, the more he wanted to savour what he had between them. It was nice. Mark guessed he could live like this for the rest of his life. He wouldn’t mind falling asleep with his face tucked into Donghyuck’s chest, their breathing falling in synch, limbs tangled together. Yet the more Mark thought about that specific image, the more his mind wanted to delve further and imagine a forbidden sequence of events: Mark looking up, their eyes meeting, Donghyuck leaning down to place a feathery kiss on Mark’s forehead, Mark blushing, Mark leaning up to kiss the space right under Donghyuck’s chin, their lips meeting, the taste of Donghyuck’s cherry lips between his own- 

_ Yeah.  _

_ Fat chance _ . 

He’d laugh his fantasy off, sometimes in the middle of class with everyone turning to look at him like he was insane. 

But thanks to Renjun’s and Chenle’s devious mind, they came up with a plan. Mark had  _ no idea _ how the plan came into talks between his friends, but he trusted them… sometimes anyway. 

Apparently, Donghyuck’s parents had made a bet with him -- of course Mark didn’t buy that, in fact he was certain that Donghyuck was the one who had proposed the bet himself -- that they would fund Donghyuck’s singing lessons if he showed that he was taking interest towards his academics. When Donghyuck had brought up with the bet with their group, everyone expected him to say that the bet was over Donghyuck’s semester grades. To which Renjun laughed and reminded him that he hadn’t studied in over two months. To Renjun’s pleasant surprise, Donghyuck shot back with a ‘oh it’s not my grades. I’m going to win the annual SuperM Academy Spelling Bee.’ 

Their friends had a field day with never ending jokes about the fact that Donghyuck barely passed Literature so there was no way in Hell he was going to win a Spelling Bee. However, Mark knew that Donghyuck was subscribed to a daily New Word of The Day website that provided him with the most obscure words that even he didn’t know existed. As much as it was comical, it was also intriguing to see Donghyuck try so hard at something remotely academic. It kind of made Mark proud. Soon their study sessions grew into hours of drilling Donghyuck’s head with words longer than Ten’s real name. And to everyone’s surprise, Donghyuck was able to spell 80% of those words accurately. And much to Mark’s dismay, his feelings for Donghyuck only grew, mixed with something a little deeper than just a high school crush. 

Mark was more than over the moon when Donghyuck asked him to privately help him. They spent hours upon hours with Mark reading out flashcards, Donghyuck sitting cross legged opposite him, his messy hair peeking out from beneath Mark’s hoodie which he had claimed as his own half a year ago. And as much as Mark  _ loved  _ spending time alone with Donghyuck, his brain was working overtime. Mark was not only translating the words into English, he was spelling them out and breaking them down in an attempt to explain them to Donghyuck before translating the explanation back to Korean. It felt like Mark was going to sign up for the Spelling Bee himself. Little did he know, that a tumultuous turn of events would have him standing on the same stage as Donghyuck. 

The day of the Spelling Bee sign-ups, Mark had been given the task of putting Donghyuck’s name on the sheet placed right in the middle of the staff room. Donghyuck had seemingly more important matters to attend to with Jeno, and no Mark was not jealous he was just confused as to why Donghyuck couldn’t come and do it himself instead of having Mark run caddy for him while he goofed off with their best friend who was dating their other best friend-... 

_ Okay so maybe Mark was a little jealous. _

But everything was going fine, he’d snuck into the staff room after sprinting straight from Basketball training, when he met his sixth grade English teacher. She had left her teaching position after having a child and wanting to focus more on raising the baby before coming back, which was great. Mark loved little kids and watching little baby Choi run around Mark’s legs trying to steal his ball was more than heartwarming. But that’s also where things started to go downhill. 

Mark was a little bit of a pushover, he spent sixth grade trying to impress all his teachers into giving him flying grades. He was a Canadian kid that had moved across the country halfway through the academic year, of course he was going to try harder than most students. In doing so, he had earned quite a reputation. He was seen as the boy who could Do It All. Which was all fun and games until he got under 90% on an exam and suddenly he was the talk of the entire teaching force at SuperM. Granted, it had happened  _ one _ semester in  _ one _ subject but suddenly all his teachers were asking if he was okay not knowing that he’d simply grown an addiction towards a long running anime and wanted to finish it before exam season. 

But back to the matter at hand. Mark was mid writing Donghyuck’s name on the sheet of the Spelling Bee sign-ups when Miss Choi loudly exclaimed to the entire staff room that ‘Oh Mark? You’re singing up? That would look really good on your transcript.’ to which his current English teacher came running over to mimic Miss Choi’s words. 

_ Great. _

Mark was mid panic, trying to explain that he was only putting down his friend’s name when the one and only Lee Donghyuck walked in. Mark felt his pathetic excuse of an explanation fizzle up and die in his throat as he watched Donghyuck’s lips curl up into an unpleasant scowl. And as quickly as it appeared, it was gone and replaced with his usual lopsided grin. Mark remembered each stride Donghyuck took as he came to stand beside Mark. If little baby Choi hadn’t been running in slow motion too, Mark would have called Donghyuck out for the dramatic snail like walk. He remembered that Donghyuck’s voice was mockingly sweet as he chimed in with the teachers, agreeing that Mark should in fact join the Spelling Bee. 

This is where Chenle’s and Renjun’s plan came to fall a part. They had spent days deciding what type of flowers to include in the bouquet to get Donghyuck when he walked out of the competition, after making it to at least the top 3 contestants. They had even helped Mark write up his confession speech -- they had no idea that Mark had gone home and written a song for Donghyuck instead. It was supposed to be the day where Mark finally poured out his heart to Donghyuck and, hopefully, have his feelings returned. 

The day of the sign-ups, Renjun had gotten Mark’s brother to pick him up under the facade of an emergency. Thankfully Mark’s brother didn’t question it when Renjun called saying that his Goldfish had died and he needed Mark’s help to flush it down  _ Mark’s _ toilet. Needless to say, it was a wild night that ended in Mark staring at the ceiling point blank, whispering ‘Donghyuck hates me,’ over and over again like a broken record. 

Renjun brainstormed ideas of how Mark could drop out: getting conveniently sick on the day of the competition, spelling his word wrong on the first round, accidentally walking too far and tripping off the stage. All of which were fantastically stupid ideas that would work with anyone  _ but _ Donghyuck. 

See, Donghyuck knows Mark and Mark  _ knows _ that Donghyuck knows him. Donghyuck, and the rest of the school, knows that Mark is a hard-worker. Donghyuck knows that Mark wouldn’t lose on the first round, he knows that Mark looks after his body well and wouldn’t get sick on just  _ one _ specific day, and he knows that Mark has  _ too  _ much anxiety to allow himself to trip off stage. 

The problem was that Mark also knows Donghyuck. He knows that Donghyuck is aware of how hard Mark has worked for Donghyuck to win the Spelling Bee. He knows that Donghyuck is a prideful person, and  _ God _ did he have a lot of pride. He knows that Donghyuck would  _ despise _ the mere idea of Mark dropping out to let Donghyuck win. He knows that Donghyuck doesn’t like pity or to be looked down upon, that Donghyuck would want him to fight fair and square. Most importantly, Mark knows that Donghyuck can hold a grudge, and that even when he tells someone he’s ‘over it,’ he’s actually plotting ways to serve said person’s head on a silver platter. In this case, said person was none other than Mark. 

To top it off, when Mark’s parents heard the news, they had mentioned that he would  _ most definitely _ make it to the top 3. Which was great and all, seeing as how top 3 meant 3 students and that would fit both Mark and Donghyuck but he also knew that Donghyuck wouldn’t be happy with that alone. Donghyuck would want to win against Mark and honestly, Mark wouldn’t have it any other way. 

The thing is, Mark also has pride -- he was a Leo for crying out loud. Mark’s pride paled in comparison to Donghyuck but it was still there. As much as he dreamt about getting on one knee for Donghyuck, he also didn’t appreciate the boy giving him the cold shoulder. In the weeks leading up to the competition, Donghyuck was distant. And yes, Mark knew his singing lessons were at stake, but Mark felt like Donghyuck should know that he wouldn’t  _ ever _ want to come between that. He didn’t appreciate that Donghyuck didn’t seem to understand that Mark wanted to  _ help _ him, that he  _ had _ helped him. 

Okay so maybe he was pissed at the way Donghyuck was extra clingy to Yangyang and Renjun, sitting right between them and linking his arms with theirs. Mark couldn’t help but wonder if a simple Spelling Bee was going to stand between Mark’s confession. And the more Mark wondered about it the more frustrated it made him, not at Donghyuck in particular but the situation as a whole. It was preposterous and if Mark wasn’t a realist he would feel like his life was right out of a novel. 

Mark felt guilty for the tension that hung in the air between their study sessions and band practices. But was it really his fault? If anything, he should blame Miss Choi. However, he wasn’t  _ that _ far gone.

Needless to say, Mark’s confession plans were on hold until further notice, and as it grew closer to the day of the Spelling Bee, Mark felt as if his confession was going to be on hold  _ forever _ . 

So there Mark was, seated in the middle row of chairs with the rest of the Lee’s, Donghyuck a mere two people over, in front of the entire school -- well people who bothered to turn up for the competition and all the contestant’s parents. 

Mark has performed in front of audiences a few times before, usually he was with his friends with a guitar slung around his shoulders. But today he felt bare, exposed even. He had worn more makeup than necessary to hide for his shabby choice of clothes. Hopefully the shimmer on his eyes and cheeks would conceal the fact that he looked like a corpse. 

The first half of round one was a blur, everyone’s names and words morphing into one. The pin-drop silence in the hall didn’t help the thunderous beating of his heart. His thumbs began twiddling with his fingers and he realised that he was in fact, shaking.  _ Usually _ he had Donghyuck’s fingers to help calm him, but today he was a lone soldier. Then, in the midst of Mark’s mental breakdown, Donghyuck’s name was called. If Mark could say anything, it was that Donghyuck’s number fit him better than the t-shirt he was wearing.

“Contestant number six six six, Lee Donghyuck, please step up to the stand.” 

In that moment, time slowed to a still. Mark watched as Donghyuck made his way to the microphone, his feet doing that thing where he leaned on the outer sides of his shoes. His hands were clasped behind his back and his lips were between his teeth.

Mark was too lost in the way Donghyuck’s lips grew into a quick proud grin as he scuttled back to his seat that he didn’t notice the two students between them fail to spell their words correctly. He was about to rejoice over his now clear view of Donghyuck when the object of his attention turned to meet his gaze, eyebrow quirked and eyes twinkling. 

That was enough to break Mark’s trance. 

The announcer sounded exhausted and Mark couldn’t help but wonder exactly how the numbering of contestants worked. “Contestant number one two seven, Lee Mark, please step up to the stand.” 

_ Fuck.  _

Mark jolted out of his seat, earning a few giggles from the students around him, Donghyuck too. 

Making his way to the microphone seemed to take longer than Mark had expected. If he was being honest, it felt like his body was being controlled by some other wordly force. 

As the announcer read the word out to Mark, his eyes zoned in on his friend’s. They were seated in the far corner with Mark’s and Donghyuck’s parents. They were holding embarrassingly large signs that would usually make Mark want to curl up and disintegrate but today he was more than thankful. 

It took a minute for Mark to translate the word into English, a minute for him to figure out the meaning, another minute for him to translate it back to Korean and a good few seconds to break it down. To most people, he probably looked like he’d frozen, but he knew his friends and family could see the cogs in his brain turning. 

“Correct.” 

He let out a shaky breath that was caught by the microphone and echoed through the entire hall. Another wave of giggles erupted from the students behind him.

Mark slumped onto his chair wishing he could sink into the plastic. He turned to his side. Like a moth to a light, his eyes found Donghyuck’s. His friend, and high school crush, offered him a smile, eye’s crinkling at the corners and nose scrunching ever so slightly but just enough to remind Mark of Lenny from Shark Tale. He felt like he was floating again, but for an entirely different reason. 

It was almost pathetic at how merely as much as a simple smile from Donghyuck could lift Mark’s mood. It was a smile for crying out loud but here Mark was, replaying it in his head for the rest of the Spelling Bee. He had no idea how he made it into the top 5 contestants when all he was thinking about was Donghyuck, Donghyuck, Donghyuck, and Donghyuck. But when he took his seat after making it into the top 4 and receiving the same smile from Donghyuck for the umpteenth time today, he knew exactly how he was doing it.

_ The Lee Donghyuck Effect _ . 

How could Mark forget? No matter how much self control he had, his mind would go into auto-pilot the moment Donghyuck smiled at him. 

So technically, if Mark won, it would be Donghyuck’s fault. 

Mark was in the middle of internally laughing at his own joke when Donghyuck and the girl from the front row stood up. Mark’s eyes snapped at his best friend who had a hand on Mark’s shoulder. 

Donghyuck’s voice was barely above a whisper. “We’re moving dumbass.” 

Mark looked around and  _ finally _ noticed that he and Donghyuck had made it into the top 3. 

Not to boast, but the next round was pretty easy. Mark’s ears quirked up at the word given to Donghyuck. It was one of Donghyuck’s ‘Word of The Day’ words. Mark only remembered because he had been the victim of Donghyuck trying to craft it into an insult. He had his fingers crossed as Donghyuck spelt the word out.

“Correct.” 

Donghyuck beamed at the audience but Mark caught the way his fingers deflated behind his back from relief. 

“Contestant number one two seven, please step up to the stand.” 

They repeated this process for about 6 rounds, neither Donghyuck, Mark, nor the girl getting a single word wrong. Mark’s brain was so close to short-circuiting. At this point, he didn’t even care who won. He just wanted to go home, play a few rounds of whatever everyone wanted to play, and fall asleep huddled in Donghyuck’s arms. 

“Incorrect.” 

Mark’s head snapped up to the stand. He would be lying if he said he didn’t sigh in relief when he realised it wasn’t Donghyuck’s turn. 

It didn’t really process in Mark’s head that they had actually made it to the final two contestants until he heard Lucas’ scream out a ‘good luck.’ It earned him a dirty look from everyone except Mark and Donghyuck who exchanged glances and chuckled softly between themselves. 

“Contestant number six six six, Lee Donghyuck, please step up to the stand.” 

Time slowed, like always, as Donghyuck made his way to the microphone. And Mark, just like he did for the past how many ever rounds, prayed that Donghyuck would get the word right. 

“The word is, Eudaemonic. The origin has already been stated. If you get it wrong the word will be passed on to the next contestant.” 

Mark’s heart sank as he watched Donghyuck’s fingers freeze behind his back. 

Donghyuck cleared his throat. “Can I please have the definition?” 

“The definition of eudaemonic is as follows. Conducive to happiness.” 

_ Oh. _

Mark remembered that word. He had searched up synonyms for love and somehow ended up in a section of the online thesaurus where every word consisted of at least 10 letters. He’d ended up picking eudaemonic because a) it had seemingly less letters than the rest of the words and b) if Mark squinted he could see the words DEMONIC in capitals and if that didn’t describe Donghyuck then he didn’t know what did. 

“Um. Y-U-...Uh… D-E-M-O-N-I-C. Eudaemonic” 

Mark’s heart sank even further. 

“Incorrect.” 

Silence filled the hall as Donghyuck awkwardly leaned on the sides of his shoes. 

“You may take a seat. Contestant number one two seven, Mark Lee, please step up to the stand.”

As much as Mark wanted to lean over and pull Donghyuck into the warmest embrace, he knew he couldn’t. 

“The word is, eudaemonic. The origin and definition of the word have already been stated. If you spell it incorrectly the round will restart. Is that understood?” 

Mark nodded his head, not trusting his voice enough to answer. 

See, Mark knew how to spell the word, it was flashing in his mind like a neon sign. He could spell it forwards  _ and _ backwards, he’d literally used it in a verse to describe how he felt about Donghyuck. He could spell it in both Korean  _ and _ English. 

Mark looked over to his friends, their faces mixed with both anticipation and dread. His parents had their hands clasped together, clearly praying that Mark would win. Donghyuck’s parents held similar expressions. Donghyuck’s siblings gave him a thumbs up and Mark’s brother mirrored them. He felt his chest bubble with a mixture of feelings. 

He could win this -- emphasis on  _ could _ .

He opened his mouth to spell the word out, confidence taking the form of electricity coursing through his body. He turned his head to glance at Donghyuck.  _ Bad decision _ , because now his heart was clenched in a stone fist as he watched Donghyuck muster up all the courage he had left to give Mark an encouraging smile.  _ _

_ Fuck.  _

Mark’s lips moved to their own accord. 

_ Ah, The Lee Donghyuck Effect. _

“Y-U-C-K-W-I-L-L-Y-O-U-G-O-O-N-A-D-A-T-E-W-I-T-H-M-E?

Silence. 

All Mark heard was silence that was deafeningly loud. 

Mark felt like he was drowning. 

His legs were about to give out when he heard an obnoxiously loud voice howl from the side of the hall. Johnny was screaming something along the lines of ‘that’s my boy’  _ in English _ . 

And it took all of a few seconds for Mark to realise that he had just asked out his best friend and crush out  _ in English  _ in front of the  _ entire _ teaching staff of SuperM, his friends, his family,  _ and _ Lee Donghyuck. 

“T-that is incorrect-” 

The announcer was cut short by Mark’s friends joining in on the screaming -- Mark guessed that Johnny probably translated it for them, the traitor. He turned back to the noisy corner to find both their mum’s squealing and holding each other. 

_ Did Mark miss something? _

“You-” Donghyuck grabbed Mark’s sleeve and dragged him out of the hall. 

Mark had  _ no _ idea where they were going but then again he wasn’t entirely sure if he was back to planet Earth yet. Mark’s mind was hiding up in some far away universe that was accessible by no means, not even Thor could get to this galaxy. 

Donghyuck was leading them to an isolated part of the grounds where they were remodelling the swimming facilities and Mark promised himself he wouldn’t be mad if Donghyuck was going to murder him. So in good old Mark Lee fashion, he began spewing out poorly thought out excuses.

“I totally understand if you hate me. In fact, I hate me too. Can we just please pretend this didn’t happen? I can do that like, God just snap your fingers and it’s done. BOOM, erased, POOF, gone, nada, zilch. We can be best bros again. I’m just the Mark to your Lee wait I meant-”

“Do you ever shut up?” 

Mark didn’t get a chance to answer because the moment they came to a half, and before Mark could catch this breath, he felt someone else’s breath mix with his own. 

_ Oh. _

He was kissing someone. 

Someone was kissing him. 

Mark was kissing Donghyuck.

Donghyuck was kissing Mark. 

_ Big oh. _

Mark had imagined their first kiss numerous times, so much it was almost humiliating to admit. 

He imagined them at Mark’s place, lights turned off, laptop playing whatever they choose to binge that night, both of them full after munching down an array of unhealthy snacks, Donghyuck clad in whatever he blindly pulled out of Mark’s wardrobe. Their faces inches apart, Mark taking in every minute detail of Donghyuck’s face, drinking in his drowsy eyes, swollen cheeks, and button nose before gently leaning down to press his lips against Donghyuck’s. It would be slow, warm, comfortable, just like Donghyuck. 

But  _ this _ , this was different in every sense of the word. 

Mark’s back was pressed against a wall made of bricks, rough and clearly still in construction. His legs caught between Donghyuck’s thighs and his hands not knowing what to do. Their mouths sloppily worked against each other. Just like any first kiss, it took them a minute to find their momentum. Oddly enough -- or maybe Mark was whipped -- their lips slotted against each other like the final two pieces of a puzzle. 

He could feel the wind bite into his skin, it was cold and felt like paper cuts littering his body. But Donghyuck’s hands followed the breeze and set fire to every inch of Mark’s skin and Mark felt himself grow warm from the inside out. Mark was a little slow and Donghyuck was impatient. The younger boy grabbed Mark’s wrists and guided Mark’s hands to his waist before threading his fingers through Mark’s hair. 

Mark’s body responded quicker than his mind, his fingers kneading into the dips and curves of Donghyuck’s hips. 

It only then hit Mark that he was touching Donghyuck’s skin, like  _ touching _ touching. Not their usual hugs and tired-drunk massages, but nails dragging up Donghyuck’s back and Mark shuddering from the fingers tugging at his hair. 

Mark never once thought -- a lie, Mark has thought of  _ many _ things, both innocent and unholy -- that kissing Donghyuck could feel so dirty. It was thrilling to hear the little sounds escape Donghyuck’s mouth and seep into his own. 

He didn’t expect their first kiss to be so hungry, as if they were both attempting to make up for lost time. 

There was a feverish desperation in the way they kissed. Like Donghyuck was trying to discover every nook and cranny of Mark’s mouth, Mark trying to do the same. Mark didn’t think someone’s tongue in his mouth could feel so  _ nice _ . Mark wouldn’t mind if Donghyuck didn’t let him breathe, he decided that Donghyuck’s tongue would be a pretty great way to die. And he was dying, that is, he was pretty sure Donghyuck was dying too. But neither of them pulled away, not wanting to give in first. It was a competition, just like everything was with Donghyuck. 

It was as if they were trying to see who could leave the other’s lips more bruised. Mark thought he was doing a pretty good job, holding back only out of fear of making Donghyuck bleed. But Donghyuck didn’t seem to care, not one bit. Instead he would bite down on Mark’s bottom lip before running over it with his tongue and if that wasn’t enough to drive Mark insane, the hand that had left his hair and somehow made its way to Mark’s throat definitely was. 

Mark almost wanted to breathe,  _ almost _ . But he was too busy savouring the taste of Donghyuck’s lips. 

He never understood what it meant when an author described a kiss to taste like Summer, until now. Warm, Donghyuck’s lips were warm, and they were sweeter than Mark would have ever guessed. He couldn’t distinguish between Donghyuck’s tongue and his own. All he knew was that Donghyuck tasted like a hot Summer’s day, grazing in the grass and sharing icy-pops. 

And when Donghyuck sucked on his tongue, Mark lost all sense of time and self control. His hands fell to Donghyuck’s thighs and pulled them up around his waist before switching their positions. There was a moment where their lips parted and Mark giggled as the both of them sucked in a deep breath before reconnecting. 

“Fuck.” Donghyuck’s voice was rough against Mark’s mouth. 

“Sorry.” Mark murmured before kissing Donghyuck again, his body pressing against Donghyuck in an attempt to soften the pain from the spikes of the brick wall. He doubted that worked, in fact he was almost sure it made it worse, but the way Donghyuck’s nails dug into his back through his t-shirt, Mark didn’t  _ want _ it to hurt less. 

Donghyuck’s arms were wrapped around Mark’s neck, his legs snaked around Mark’s waist while Mark’s fingers pressed into Donghyuck’s thighs. God, how he’d dreamt of holding Donghyuck’s thighs, the golden skin melting under his touch. His imagination didn’t remotely come close to how intoxicating they felt in his hands. If they weren’t at school, a place of education and decency, Mark might have dropped to his knees then and there to pepper kisses all along Donghyuck’s thighs. 

He doubted Donghyuck would mind. 

They weren’t fighting to breathe anymore, their lips slowing down, bodies savouring each other’s warmth. Mark felt like the only way to describe their kisses was by comparing it to a tempo, starting off fast before settling into a steady rhythm. The more Donghyuck pulled, the more Mark pushed. He pushed till he felt not even a breadth of air between them, their hips pressed dangerously close together and Mark was so close to losing his mind; and he thought he had when he felt Donghyuck vibrate against him. 

“Dammit.” Donghyuck was the first to break their kiss, breathing heavy into Mark’s neck. Mark shivered as the wind hit his face and resolved to hiding in Donghyuck’s hair. 

“Hmm?” Mark, for the second time that day, didn’t trust his voice to formulate actual words. 

Donghyuck took his phone out of his pocket and turned it off. “Can they leave us alone.” It was more of a threat than a question. 

“Mmm.” Mark opted to make humming sounds instead of trying to devise a sentence. He doubted anything that came out of his mouth would be coherent. 

“So,” Donghyuck’s voice was back to normal, a little breathy but he definitely didn’t sound like he hadn’t had an ounce of oxygen for the past God knows however long they were sucking each other’s face. “Bros huh?” 

Mark winced into Donghyuck’s hair and he felt the boy chuckle against him before detaching his legs from Mark’s waist. Mark wasn’t sure he could stand without some sort of support so he leaned forward, his head falling into the crook of Donghyuck’s neck. 

“Baby I can’t stand either.” Donghyuck’s arms came to hold Mark’s torso. 

_ Baby. _

_ Donghyuck just called him baby _ . 

“Yes. Yes I did.” Donghyuck leaned away, his thumb and index finger coming to tilt Mark’s head up. As their eyes met, and ignoring the fact that Mark had verbally gay panicked, he felt a little better. 

Donghyuck may have  _ sounded _ composed but he sure as Hell didn’t look the part. His hair stuck out in all directions, probably from the bricks, with his face was flushed a flaming red. And his lips, God his lips. Mark had outdone himself. Donghyuck’s lips were swollen beyond recognition, Mark’s saliva shining on his cupid’s bow. He couldn’t help the proud smile that spread across his face

“I’m not the only one who looks like they got run over by a bus.” Donghyuck bit back at Mark with no real malicious intent behind his words, and Mark definitely didn’t miss the way Donghyuck’s cheeks flushed deeper. 

They didn’t speak as they tried to straighten themselves out. Mark pulled Donghyuck’s t-shirt back down and Donghyuck combed his fingers through Mark’s hair in a poor attempt to look presentable. Mark grabbed Donghyuck’s hands before he had time to shove it deep into his pocket, locking their fingers together. He hummed happily as they sat down on a large pile of stacked tiles -- probably placed in preparation for renovating the swimming pool. 

“Are you going to like, I don’t know,  _ say _ something?” Donghyuck was rubbing circles into Mark’s thigh with his free hand. 

Mark had only just got his breathing back to normal, but he guessed that was enough to get a few words out. He wanted to tell Donghyuck how he made Mark feel, how his chest felt tight and about the constant flurry of butterflies in the pit of his stomach whenever Donghyuck leaned against him. 

But then Donghyuck smiled, a proper smile with that minuscule dimple of his deepening, and Mark’s mouth moved on its own. 

_ God.  _

_ Not again.  _

_ The Lee Donghyuck Effect was inescapable.  _

“S-so is that a yes for the date?” 

Mark couldn’t believe his own mouth, nor could Donghyuck who simply blinked at him before dead-panning.

“Sweetie, I was literally sucking on your tongue like one minute ago.” Donghyuck said matter of factly and Mark choked on how crude Donghyuck was. But it was the truth and Mark was about to slap himself, thankfully Donghyuck beat him to it and flicked his forehead. “Yes Mackerel, I will go on a date with you. Many dates. For a long time.” 

An unexplainable feeling settled in Mark’s gut, suspiciously similar to dread. It had just now processed that Mark was asking out The Devil on a date. 

“I bet you just thought I was The Devil or some bullshit but can I just add that  _ you _ spelt my name wrong.” Donghyuck huddled closer to Mark with his thigh thrown over Mark’s knees. 

“No I didn’t.” Mark flat out denied it. There’s no way he spelt Donghyuck’s name wrong. Plus, it was in English and Donghyuck wouldn’t have noticed that. He  _ shouldn’t _ have noticed that. 

“I have you on tape Mercury.” Donghyuck brought Mark’s hands to his lips before kissing the tips of Mark’s fingers. Donghyuck’s actions and words didn’t match up, but they rarely ever did and Mark adored that about him -- Mark was beginning to think he really  _ was _ a masochist. 

“ _ We _ have you on tape.” An all-too-familiar voice sounded out from behind them. 

Donghyuck rolled his eyes but Mark wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole. 

“You literally called him Yuck.” 

Mark turned to Renjun feeling utterly betrayed but the Chinese boy simply laughed and waved his phone in Mark’s face. 

“ _ Please _ don’t remind me.”

“Oh but I will, every day, just like clockwork.”

Mark didn’t doubt he would. He also doubted Donghyuck would let him live it down either. 

And he didn’t. 

Donghyuck used ‘Yuck’ to torment Mark as much as he could. He even stole Mark’s phone to change his contact name to Yuck followed by a trail of monstrous emojis that even Mark would never use. Mark also woke up to daily texts from Donghyuck, each letter a new message and Mark realised that as much as he wanted to kiss Donghyuck he also wanted to throttle him to death. 

But Mark was glad, their dynamics didn’t change _one_ _bit_. Mark was relieved to find Donghyuck teasing him at how bad his gaming skills were and Donghyuck found comfort in Mark while he silently wrote his lyrics. It was like every fear Mark had was turning to ash right before his eyes. 

Sometimes he wondered how it would have been if he hadn’t met Miss Choi in the staff room. Thinking about it now, Mark was thankful that his old teacher had the misconception that he wanted to join the Spelling Bee. Because now he was dating his best friend and lived as a constant victim of The Lee Donghyuck Effect yet Mark couldn’t be happier. 

  
Mark Lee was not a genius. Granted, he wasn’t stupid -- even if he did completely flunk his highschool Spelling Bee. Mark was a hard-worker who had gotten into the university of his first choice and privately tutored English to primary school students as a side job. He was the leader of a band consisting of his friends while still finding time to play Basketball with his old teammates. Mark had a social life, his friends making it a point to go out  _ at least  _ every Friday night. Oh,  _ and  _ he was dating his best friend who may have been the bane of Mark’s existence but was also Mark’s warmth, comfort, and home. The reason for his eudaemonic life: Lee Donghyuck. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> i hope you guys liked it hhhh <3
> 
> follow me @/petnct to see me come up with au ideas ill never write yeehaw
> 
> (( shoutout to @/nanawinkle and @/thebluuside for Mark’s creative nicknames)


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